Polymers produced from carbon monoxide and one or more olefins have been known for some time. Brubaker, U.S. Pat. No. 2,495,286, produced such polymers of relatively low carbon monoxide content in the presence of free radical initiators, e.g., peroxy compounds. The polymers of Brubaker were of a random rather than a linear alternating structure. Linear alternating polymers of carbon monoxide and olefin(s) were produced by Nozaki in the presence of arylphosphine moieties of palladium and certain inert solvents. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,412. More recent procedures for the production of linear alternating polymers of carbon monoxide and at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon are illustrated by a number of published European Patent Applications including 121,965, 181,014, 222,454 and 257,663.
The production of linear alternating polymers, now known as polyketones or polyketone polymers, is conventionally accomplished by contacting the monomeric reactants in the presence of a catalyst composition formed from a Group VIII metal selected from palladium, cobalt or nickel, the anion of a non-hydrohalogenic acid having a pKa below about 6, preferably below 2, and polydentate ligand of phosphorus, arsenic or antimony. Although the scope of the polymerization is extensive, a preferred catalyst composition is formed from a palladium salt, particularly a palladium alkanoate such as palladium acetate, the anion of trifluoroacetic acid or p-toluenesulfonic acid, and a bidentate or tridentate ligand of phosphorus.
Interest in the polyketone polymers as well as in the derivatives thereof, has increased with the greater availability of the polymers. Various attempts have been made to derivatize the polymers including the hydrogenation of the carbonyl groups of the polymers to produce a polyol having structured similarity to a polyvinyl alcohol. In the above Brubaker patent, hydrogenation of random copolymers is disclosed. In a copending U.S. Pat. application, Ser. No. 138,767, filed Dec. 29, 1977, a process of hydrogenation is disclosed which does result in production of a polyol from a linear alternating polymer. Kiovsky et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,979,373, describes a process where a linear alternating copolymer of carbon monoxide and ethylene is treated with a strong acid to convert a portion of the monomeric units into furan groups, thereby lowering the melting point of the polymer and improving processability. It would be of advantage, however, to provide additional derivatives of the linear alternating polymers of carbon monoxide and at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon.